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Driving
in Snow and Fog
Driving in Snow
 Driving
in snow will greatly change how you and your car behave should a
serious situation arise. It is important to be fully aware of your
limits; this includes both your own and your car - not forgetting
those of other road users! You may have a high performance car,
you may have the latest stability control system, but in snow the
cornering ability of your car, along with any technology, will become
almost irrelevant due to the sheer lack of grip – even cars
equipped with ABS are unlikely stop a straight-line skid due to
the lack of grip available. With this in mind it’s worth staying
focused on your driving environment. Avoid making any sharp movements
with the steering wheel. It’s also worth avoiding harsh acceleration,
sudden braking and travelling at high speeds.
General driving
Try to
keep in as high a gear as possible to avoid wheel spin. Although
you should always concentrate whilst driving (!) ensure you double
your concentration in the snow – bear in mind you may have
covered many thousands of miles in everyday road conditions but
most people will drive fewer miles in snow than they do when learning
to drive – making the majority of the public very inexperienced
snow drivers!
Moving away from standstill
A good
way of reducing wheel spin in the snow when moving off is to apply
the throttle gently; perhaps you should also consider moving off
in 2nd gear if it’s very slippery.
Negotiating corners
Before
taking a corner or bend it is important to slow down long before
you usually would, but remember to do this only in a straight line
to avoid loss of control. When taking a bend you should ensure that
your speed is sufficiently low so as not to lose traction also avoid
any sharp steering movements.
Braking
The key
here is to use your power of observation, as any sudden unplanned
braking, no matter how advanced your car is, will usually result
in a skid if you are on pure snow. Should you need to brake harder
than planned (i.e. you lock the wheels) remember to use a system
called cadence braking whereby you release the footbrake when the
wheels lock up and quickly reapply – with the aim of trying
to brake just above the locking point of the wheels and reducing
speed as fast and as controlled as possible. This practice is usually
not needed with cars equipped with ABS, however, as mentioned before,
the sheer lack of grip may mean you will need to do this –
ABS or not!
Another
good way of reducing speed in snow is to carefully engage a lower
gear and use the compression of the engine to slow you down known
as engine braking.
REMEMBER:
At least triple the usual distance between your car and the one
ahead.
Other
road users
It can
be all too easy to become concerned with your own driving and not
think about other road users when the roads are covered in snow.
Bear in mind that, although you may have a good understanding of
driving in snow, the other person using the road may not. Therefore,
take precautions such as:
Do not assume that the driver coming up to the island will be able
to give way to you as planned especially if they have not braked
early enough.
If someone is too close behind you make sure you apply the brakes
even earlier when approaching hazards and negotiating islands. It
may be a good idea pulling in and letting them past.
Be prepared to take avoidance action from that driver coming towards
you who has taken a corner too fast and has lost control. In this
situation it is best to brake or, depending on the distance, carefully
steer away from them to a safer place on the road. The latter is
not always possible so always use your judgement.
Driving in snow: preparation
If you
plan to go out in the snow consider these points:
Is your journey essential?
Do you have
a blanket in the car?
Does anyone
know where you are going and what time you should be back?
Do you have
a charged mobile phone with you?
Do you have
a hot drink in a flask?
Have you
taken note of the local weather forecast?
Have you
planned to make sure your destination is accessible?
Will you
need a spade to dig yourself out of any drifts?
DRIVING IN FOG
Overview
 Driving
in fog is a major hazard due to the fact that you can’t see
where you are going as well, making your planning and observation
very hard if not impossible.
Remember the basics in fog: Use your lights. Use your windscreen
wipers. Use demisters. Use common sense! It’s easy really!
General driver errors in fog
In fog
most drivers slow down, become more cautious and generally adapt
to the conditions. However, it is easy to fall into the trap of
making potentially costly mistakes:
Following the lights in front – Many drivers feel the need
to follow the car lights in front, somehow thinking that if they
lose sight of them they will lose their way! Although this sounds
ridiculous you will be amazed how many do this, whether it is on
a conscious or subconscious level.
To overcome
this, fully understand that your own judgement will be impaired
in the fog and that keeping a good distance is the safer option.
Failing to judge speed
– When waiting at a junction it can be easy to misjudge the
speed of an approaching vehicle and pull out when normally you would
not. Fog can distort your sense of speed and distance.
To avoid
this take an extra second or two to assess the speed of any approaching
vehicles. It may be worth letting the vehicle pass, to fully make
sure you are safe.
Failing to notice your own speed – Over time
drivers can become used to driving in fog, and as they do their
speed increases, which is the last thing you want to do!
To overcome
this take a quick glance at your speedo every now and then and be
prepared to adjust your speed.
Failing to notice other road users
–
Although most drivers light up in the fog some do not. Also some
cyclists and even pedestrians take risks by not making themselves
visible.
To ensure
that you do not slip up here it is important to be aware of any
kind of movement in the fog; often drivers report seeing “something”
but are not sure what before hitting a pedestrian, cyclist or an
unlit car. With this in mind it is important to look for anything
moving in the fog and be prepared to react to it. Be extra careful
when driving along a stretch of road where the path suddenly stops,
as often people will have to use the roadside to walk.
Remember
that fog can be patchy so should you enter a foggy patch whilst
driving check your mirror and slow down; if needed use your rear
fog lights and if your vehicle is equipped with them, use the front
fog lights. Once you are out of fog don’t forget to switch
them off. The Highway Code states that you should only
use fog lights if visibility is less than 100 metres.
Should
you need to park in the fog, ensure you park off the road as other
drivers and road users may fail to see you.
Fog
can badly affect drivers with poor eyesight. Learn more about eyesight
and the law here.
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